North American flight schedule change set to boost connectivity with Indian subcontinent

Etihad Airways has announced a number of schedule changes to the airline’s flights between its Abu Dhabi hub and Chicago, New York, and Toronto, which will start on Sunday 29 March 2015.

The move will
provide convenient schedule options for UAE passengers travelling to North
America, enhance overall connectivity for flights to and from the Indian
Subcontinent (ISC), and establish new connections to key markets such as Dhaka,
Kathmandu, and Kolkata.

The new times also
all connect with key Etihad Airways’ ISC destinations which include Colombo,
Delhi, Karachi, Lahore, and Mumbai.

The daily EY151
flight to Chicago will move from a 9.30am departure to 3.40am and the three
flights a week Toronto service, EY141, will depart at 2.50am rather than the
current time 10.25am.

Return flight EY150
from Chicago will arrive in Abu Dhabi at 12.20pm, and EY140 from Toronto will
arrive at 12.05pm, which will allow for faster connection times through the hub
at a non-peak period.

The new schedule
will see the return flight from New York, EY102, depart JFK three hours later
than it currently does to ensure its arrival in Abu Dhabi to meet the early
afternoon bank of flights to the ISC.

Kevin Knight, Etihad
Airways’ Chief Strategy and Planning Officer, said: “Demand for travel between the
Indian Subcontinent and North America continues to grow year-on-year and we’re
delighted to change our schedule in order to support this requirement and to
increase the travel options for our guests.

“The new schedule will create a more
even balance of Etihad Airways’ flights to North America across the early
morning and mid-morning banks. This will result in fewer passengers transiting through
the hub at peak periods and will enhance the customer experience.”

Passengers on the retimed
outbound Chicago flight will continue to be processed through United States
Preclearance at Abu Dhabi Airport, following the recent expansion of the facility’s
hours of operation to include early morning flights to the US.

US Preclearance allows
passengers to conveniently pass through all required checks including US
customs, immigration and security while in Abu Dhabi before they board their
flight, enabling them to avoid queues on arrival in the US and arrive as
domestic passengers.

Passengers on all
Etihad Airways flights from Abu Dhabi to the United States, which also includes
Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York JFK, and Washington DC,
are processed through US preclearance.

The schedule changes for
Chicago and Toronto have been made in conjunction with Etihad Airways’ key
partners, American Airlines and Air Canada in North America, and Jet Airways in
India.

The partner airlines
will implement new codeshare flights as well as re-accommodate guests who are
affected by the new schedule.

Chicago,
New York JFK (EY101 / EY102), and Toronto flight schedule from 29 March 2015: